Thill-coupling



Patented Aug. 9,- |898. J W HDWELL THILL COUPLING.

(Application filed Oct. 29, 1.897.)

(No Model.)

llilllllllllllllllllll i Hllllllllllllllllll lllllillll y lllivrrieio tirarse armar @tripa i JOHN WEBSTER IIOYVELL, F JOHNSTONN, PENNSYLVANIA.

Tl-HLLNCOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,680, dated August 9V, 1898.

Application tiled October 29, 189 7.

To (all whom t may concern: f

v Be it known that I, JOHN WEBSTER How- ELL, residing at Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful rlhilbCoupling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings; and the object of the saine is to provide an improved coupling in which the thills may be quickly and readily positioned and locked therein and from which they may bc instantly detached, the coupler being so constructed as to prevent rattling as the parts wear from use. Y

Vith the above object in view the invention consists of a coupler-head whichvis attached to the axle by clips and adapted to receive the thill-iron, a retaining-frame for engaging the iron and preventing the removal of the latter until the frame is raised, and a spring for retaining the frame in engagement with the thill-iron.

My invention further consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and afterward specifically pointed out in the claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, having reference to the accompany ing drawings, forming part of this speciiication, in whicl1 Figure l is a perspective View of my invention, a portion of the axle, to which it is attached, being shown. Fig. 2 is a top Vplan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the retaining-frame. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the retaining-frame raised to permit the removal of the thill-iron.

Like letters of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur in the various iigures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the axle, to which` the couplerhead is secured by means of the clip B, said coupler-head consisting of the forwardly-proel jecting arms C, enlarged at their extremities and formed with the rearwardlyextending Serial No. 656,833. (No model.)

Vopen'ended slots D to receive the trunnions -E of the thill-iron'F.

the nut J. The arms G of the retaining-frame are also enlarged at their outer ends and pro vided with the open-ended slots K, which are formed on a different angle from the slots l), so that when said retaining-frameis moved downward the trunnions of the thill-iron will be received by said slots and the removal of the iron prevented until the retaining-frame is again raised.

For holding the retaining-frame normally pressed downward I provide the spring M, which is angular in shape and is coiled about the bolt I, with its angular portion engaging the clip and its extremities resting upon thc connectingfbar of the retaining-frame.

When it is desired toV attach the thill-iron to thecoupler-head or remove the same therefrom, thelretainingframe is raised by means of its connecting-bar, when said iron may be inserted in the slotted arms of the head or removed therefrom.

Accidental displacement of the thill-iron is absolutely impossible when the retaining,

frame is lowered, as will be readily understood, and the spring pressing saidframe against the trunnionsof the thill-iron prevents rattling of the parts.

From the above description it will be seen that I have produced an improved thil1-coupling by means of Ywhich the thills may be quickly and readily Vattached to the vehicle or removed therefrom, and also in which the number of parts are reduced to a minimum, thus rendering the coupler simple and cheap to manufacture. f

While I have illustrated and described the best means now known to ine for carrying ont my invention,I do not wish to be understood as restricting myself to the exact detailsk of construction shownand described, but hold that any slight changes or variations, such as might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic, will properly fall within the limitand scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

vroo

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A thill-coupler comprising an axle-clip having forwardly-extending arms thereon, With rearwardly-extending slots adapted to receive the trunnions of the thill-iron, a retaining-frame pivoted to the said arms having forwardly-extending arms provided with open-ended slots adapted to engage the trunnions of the thill-iron, a connecting-bar for said retaining-frame adapted to limit the movement of the same and by means of which it is raised, and a coiled spring surrounding the pivotal shaft of the retaining-frame, one end of which is adapted to bear against the axle-clip and the other end against the retaining-frame, substantially as described and for the purpose stated.

2. A thill-coupler comprising an axle-clip having forwardly-extending arms provided with rearwardly-extending slots adapted to receive the trunnions of the thill-iron, shouldered recesses provided in the outer sides of said forWardly-eXtending arms, a retainingframe adapted to it in said recesses having slots formed therein disposed at a different angle from those of the clip-arms, a bolt for pivotally connecting said frame to the cliparms, a connecting-bar for said retainingframe for limiting its movement and by means of which it is raised, a spring coiled around the said pivotal bolt, one end of which is adapted to bear against the axle-clip and the other end upon the connecting-bar for holding said retaining-frame normally downward and closing the open-ended slots of the cliparms, substantially as described.

JOHN WEBSTER HOWELL.

lVitnesses:

A. D. DAvIs, WM. J. GOODWIN. 

